


Bring On The Monsters

by drekkeri



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Demigod AU, Multi, OKAY BUT, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Percy Jackson AU, Rating Subject But Unlikely To Change, Slow Burn, liek you need to understand the shipping is a S L O W ass burn, like maybe BeauYasha and possible some platonic tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 13:54:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14833526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drekkeri/pseuds/drekkeri
Summary: In the two weeks of his life that Molly could remember, no one other than himself ever acknowledged the insane monsters constantly trying to kill him. It only took him a few days after waking up in a subway station to come to the conclusion that he must be the only person capable of seeing them. He didn't know how or why that was the case- just that it was. Oh, and he also knew that it sucked.-----The Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus AU no one asked for!! Super self indulgent and going to be a Slow Fucking Burn.





	1. Molly Steals and Destroys A Motorcycle

If Molly just got out of this city- out of this damned city- everything would be fine.

  
He wiped the blood away from his neck, holding a piece of his shirt to the cut until it stopped openly bleeding. The cut didn't hurt much, but it was still a pain to be bleeding all over everything he owned.

  
Molly had a simple plan- it was just two steps. Get clothes, and get out of the city.

  
How hard could it be?

  
He wrapped himself in his light jacket to look more inconspicuous as he entered a large clothing store. Enough people were milling about that he should be able to get in and out without being noticed. Hopefully.

  
He stalked through a few aisles, grabbing clothing that looked like it would fit him and shoving it into his backpack. A pair of basic ripped jeans, a white shirt with a deep cut neck, and a dark red sweater. It was dreadfully bland. But at least it wasn't covered in monster blood, which was more than he could say for any other clothing items he had. He grabbed the shirt last, glancing around for any cameras or prying eyes as he shoved it into his bag. As he quickly pulled the zipper closed his eyes met another's gaze.

  
Fuck.

  
A woman stood ominously at the end of the aisle. He could just barely make out the lifeless eyes staring coldly at him, they peeked out from under the greasy black hair that fell all over her face.

  
Molly stared back, trying to read the situation. She didn't look like an employee, but he she certainly didn't appear friendly either. He slowly went to unzip the bag, intending to put the shirt back on the hanger, but as soon as he moved she lunged.

  
In an instant, the woman standing in front of him was no longer a woman. Her eyes were a glowing yellow, and a mess of fanged teeth protruded out of her mouth. As she launched herself at him her body transformed so that her legs were now a gigantic serpent-like tail. She hissed, raising a clawed hand and striking down at him.

  
Molly shouted, barely jumping back and out of the way. "Fuck!"

  
The woman ripped her claw from the shelf that it got stuck in and she turned, hissing loudly at Mollymauk with clear blood lust in her eyes. She started to approach again so Molly did the only thing he could. He turned tail and ran. He couldn't fight a monster here- not when there were people everywhere. He made that mistake already and it resulted in civilians either getting hurt or getting in Molly's way. So he bolted out of the store and into the mall, shoving people out of the way as he bolted down the stairs.

  
As he elbowed a few people out of his way he heard and ignored their loud protests, especially because not a single person acknowledged the gigantic serpent actively trying to kill him.

  
They never did.

  
In the two weeks of his life that Molly could remember, no one other than himself ever acknowledged the insane monsters constantly trying to kill him. It only took him a few days after waking up in a subway station to come to the conclusion that he must be the only person capable of seeing them. He didn't know how or why that was the case- just that it was. Oh, and he also knew that it _sucked_.

  
Molly managed to make it out of the crowds and out of the mall, still hearing loud hissing as she chased him down. He slid to a stop in the parking lot. Okay- getaway car. There had to be something. After a quick glance his eyes narrowed in on the perfect one.

  
He started sprinting again, sliding smoothly across the hood of a car before landing and running a few more yards. He grabbed the handlebars of a motorcycle and shoved the owner to the ground roughly. "Sorry!" he called as he jumped on top and took off, peeling out of the parking lot and speeding down the road.

  
The loud cursing directed at him fell on deaf ears as he drove as fast as he physically could. He drove on the sidewalks, the wrong side of the road, and at one point through a backyard, it was whatever would get him out of the city the fastest.

  
Time blurred by as all Molly could focus on was driving. This city had been absolutely horrible and he needed to get _out._ Maybe somewhere less populated would be better? Maybe less people would attract monsters and death? He'd never been been outside of the city so this was all just wild speculation. But he could hope. He _had_ to hope there was somewhere he wouldn't be attacked every time he sat down to breathe, if he didn't he'd go insane.

  
The bike's tank was full, thank the gods, so Molly was able to drive as fast as he could as far as he could. He only let himself start to relax when the city skyline faded out of sight and the concrete roads turned into dirt and grass. As he looked around he didn't see any people. But more importantly, he didn't see any monsters.

  
After the sun was long set he couldn't deny the exhaustion creeping up on him. He was drained of any adrenaline keeping him awake and would crash into a tree if he kept going like this. Hesitantly he pulled over, resting the bike against the grass. He changed into his new clothes and dropped the bloody ones to the side. If he ever saw them again it would be to soon. Finally he placed the twin swords within easy reach and balled his coat up for a pillow, lying down across the grass. He stretched out, letting sleep take him.

* * *

  
When Molly knew up something was wrong. He shot up from sleep, grabbing swords and holding them at the ready for an attack. He couldn't see anything but still he knew something was about to go very south very quickly.

  
He pulled up the bike and hopped on, slamming on the gas immediately. Over the sound of the engine revving he barely made out the sound rapidly approaching. It was a loud hissing.

  
Before Molly could even think to react the back tire of his bike blew out and flung Molly forwards. He crashed head first in the grass, tumbling and rolling across until he landed on his stomach with a heavy thud. He groaned and rolled over, forcing himself to stand up again despite fleeting desire to just lay down until the pain went away.

  
Molly looked around, ignoring the ringing in his head, and spotted the large serpent raising to her full height and approaching him.

  
Gods, she was certainly persistent.

  
He tried to ignore the adrenaline rush and think clearly. He'd just gotten rest and there was no one around, so there was no point in running from the fight. If he did he would just exhaust himself and be absolutely useless in a fight. Taking a deep breath he scanned the area, looking for any terrain he could use to his advantage during the fight.

  
The grass was sloping into a hill, and anything he could use in a fight was long in the distance. There was a lone tree towards the top of the hill and past that a forest, but that wouldn't help him now would it.

  
Giving up on finding any useful terrain Molly took a few more steps up the hill, braced himself, then turned on his heel and sped back down with his blades drawn.

  
As Molly ran he clenched both of his swords tighter, feeling cuts reopening on his neck as the swords lit up with an unearthly red glow. He didn't know why this happened- just that it was worth the pain and made fights end a hell of a lot faster.

  
He leaped through the air and slice through the scales of the beast, tucking and rolling across the ground as its tail swung above his head. _Fuck._ It raised the tail again and started to slam it when he raised his swords, barely managing to stab through and give himself enough of an opening to leap to the side and refocus.

  
The monster hissed, facial features becoming more monstrous. Molly grit his teeth and hissed back. He put as much force as he could into his words. This ability was touch and go, but if it worked it could buy him more time.

  
A string of horrific, hellish sounds escaped Molly's mouth. It sounded like a nightmare. As he spoke the monster's eyes started to bleed.

  
Perfect.

  
Using the opening he made for himself he surged forwards and plunged both swords into the monster's chest, magical energy sparking up around his swords. He grinned, carving the swords down before ripping them out and running up the hill again. That should do it. The beast would bleed out and maybe if he made it for the forest he could just... live there. Trees may be easier to hide among than city buildings.

  
As he ran up the hill he panted for breath, holding the swords down at his sides. Just a little bit longer- just a little bit longer.

  
He had almost reached the first tree when a searing pain flared up in his side.

  
Molly screamed in pain, immediately falling to his knees as his legs gave out. He looked over, seeing the serpent's claws buried deep in his side.

  
"Fuck,"

  
The serpent was still bleeding out but with the last of it's strength to raise itself above Molly's paralyzed body, blood dripping out of its gaping wound and covering Molly's chest. Damn. the monster was dying- but it was about to take Molly with it.

  
He'd be impressed if he wasn't the one being killed.

  
The pain grew until it became nearly unbearable, the poison spreading steadily throughout his entire body until he hurt too much to do anything.

  
He couldn't move- he couldn't run- he couldn't cry for help.

  
Molly's eyelids started becoming heavy, to heavy for him to hold up on his own, and as they closed his breathing became more shallow.

  
The moment before they closed fully there was a bright light and a deafening crack of thunder. Using the last of his strength Molly forced his eyes open, just in time to see another crack of lightning strike the serpent and send it reeling back in pain. A large sword came through the air, slicing the serpent cleanly in two as electricity sparked off the blade.

  
And then Molly blacked out.

* * *

  
"Are you sure you're equipped to handle this? I can go get one of the Apollo kids..."

  
"There isn't _time_ , so just _trust me_! I can _totally_ take care of this,"

  
Molly closed his eyes tighter, trying to ground himself and make sure he wasn't missing any important limbs. He twitched his fingers, grateful to find all the digits in tact. The movement was limited but they were all there. He repeated the movement with his toes nose, and eyes. Every time he was grateful to find he was still in tact as well as no longer in unbearable pain.

  
" _Seeeee!_ It's working- he's moving!"

  
He could feel someone pouring a liquid into his mouth and he gratefully tried to drink it all up. Damn this- this is amazing. It was like liquid joy. The warm liquid dripped down his throat, tasting of strawberries and hot chocolate and alcohol. As the liquid was pulled away he licked his lips to catch any last drops.

  
"Don't give him too much or he'll be worse than he started, Jester."

  
"I know what I'm doing! I've been learning!"

  
"I think he's waking up." A third, softer, voice spoke from right behind his head.

  
Molly slowly opened his eyes, the mere action exhausting him. He slowly looked around. Leaning above his head was a large muscled woman, black hair with white tips falling around her shoulders. Two other figures were crouching on either side of him. The first was a lean man with a scar across his face, and to the other side was a pretty plump girl with dark blue hair curling around her face.

  
The youngest girl sat up seeing him wake and clapped her hands together. "You're awake!" she said excitedly. "Oh- oh you're waking up that means I did something right! Okay- Okay I know what to do now. Can you tell me your name? And where you are?" She leaned right up into Molly's face. The large woman gently pushed her back.

  
"Jester, you'll overwhelm him." she said.

  
The girl- Jester apparently- puffed out her cheeks but nodded. " _Finneee._ " she looked back down at Molly. "Can you tell me your name?"

  
Molly slowly sat up, groaning in pain as he did. The pain was dying down, but he still felt sore. Strong hands held his shoulders, helping him sit up straighter without collapsing down again.

  
"Mollymauk- Mollymauk Tealeaf," he wheezed out and coughed. It was his name, the name he had chosen for himself but no less his name. The woman rubbed his back as he continued coughing.

  
"We should get him into the camp," the man said, a slight Southern drawn to his voice. "Get him to Pumat."

  
"Give him a minute, Fjord. Let him breathe first." the soft spoken woman said.

  
"You know- it would be raelly nice if you stopped talking as if I wasn't here." he complained and sat up straighter. He looked down, surprised to see that the wound on his side had completely healed. As he traced a finger over his neck, he found those cuts healed too. "What- how did you do this?"

  
Jester held up a bright pink water bottle, shaking it in the air. "I used this! It's nectar of the gods," she said, as though that would make any sense to Molly. He blinked blankly.

  
"It can be used to heal you, in moderation." The woman explained softly. She slowly let go of his back and moved to his side, helping him stand up. "If you have too much you'll die."

  
Molly grabbed onto her arm as he steadied himself, nodding a few times. "Noted."

  
He looked around, trying to get a proper look now that he was standing. He hadn't seen anyone before, so the trio must of come from somewhere. As he looked around he froze, tightening his grip on the woman's arm. What the fuck- none of this was there before.

  
Suddenly there were rows of cabins, creating a horeshoe shape across what looked like a massive campgrounds. They were on the outskirts of it, but from here he could still see people of all ages walking around. It was a varied group, ranging from a young girl carrying a massive sword to a young man moving herbs. A teenage girl tended to the fire, chatting with satyrs.

  
"Where the fuck am I?" Molly asked, eyes wide.

  
The woman squeezed his arm gently. "You're at Camp Half Blood, and you're safe now." 


	2. Camp Certainly Beats The City

The woman- who introduced herself as Yasha- let Molly continue holding onto her arm for support as she lead him towards the center of the camp. He'd tried to walk on his own but it only resulted in in falling on his ass. So she kept a tight hold on him, not letting him run off and fall again.

  
Jester practically danced around them, skipping and twirling so her dress flew out around her. The entire time she was chattering with Fjord about one thing or another. He couldn't understand most of what she was saying, even if he wasn't actively bleeding out he was too tired to think, but he had the feeling he'd rather like her. She was upbeat, energetic, and unapologeticly kind. Not a lot of people he'd come across were like that.

  
"Yasha, why don't you take Mollymauk to Pumat? Me and Jester will get a healer." Fjord said once they reached the rows of buildings.

  
"What? But I did a great job!" Jester protested, puffing out her cheeks again.

  
"Yes you did, but you're also still learning." Fjord said softly, patting her arm. "Come on now." Before she could protest he nodded at Yasha and started walking in the direction of a cabin that looked like solid gold.

  
Every cabin had it's own distinguishing feature. One was covered with bright pink accents, another had statues of owls on all corners of the roof. If Yasha let him he would of just walked through the campground to take in every last detail, there was too much to take in at once. But apparently that would have to wait- assuming he'd ever get the change- because Yasha was squeezing his arm to get his attention.

  
"What-yes?" Molly spluttered and turned to face her.

  
Yasha smiled softly. "I asked if you were ready to meet Pumat? He runs the camp... you'll like him."

  
"Do I have a choice?"

  
Yasha laughed, or at least Molly thought she did. It was more of a small exhale through her nose. "Not really." She said and took his elbow, guiding him towards the centermost building. It was nothing like what he saw in the city- nothing in this camp was like anything in the city.

  
They walked up onto the porch and through a screen door. She confidently walked him past a lobby and into a main office where a large... something sat. It wasn't a man- he resembled a bull and was covered in light fur. Instincts kicked in and Molly grabbed for his swords, immediately ready to fight if he was attacked. Was this a trap? Of course it was a trap- the city was full of traps why would this place be any different.

  
"Weellll there, we got a jumpy one." The bull-man said slowly. He had a deep and surprisingly kind voice. "You can just calm on down there, I promise. I'm Pumat, one of the leaders at this here camp. And the big one behind you is Yasha, but I'm sure you know that by now."

  
Still tense, Molly glanced back at Yasha. She nodded at him with another smile. Alright- so he was safe. He trusted Yasha's opinion. Molly took his hands away from his swords and crossed his arms instead.

  
"There we go, isn't that a lot more pleseant?" Pumat smiled easily. Despite his monsterous appearene, something about him was completely nonthreatening. It was as if he had never been angry in his life. "So, Yasha, who do we have here?"

  
"This is Mollymauk. He was outside the camp. I found him before he was killed by a serpent." Yasha answered. She pulled her arm back to herself and he found himself reaching out for her arm again. She looked confused, but didn't stop him.

  
"Now... by a serpent do you mean a snake- or a monster that just so happens to resemble a serpent."

  
"The latter."

  
Pumat nodded, making a sound of understanding. "Well... this is strange now, isn't it? You're certainly older than most we get. How old are ya anyways?"

  
Molly had to actively keep himself from bristling, but thankfully it wasn't that hard. He was facing questions from the first day he could remember so he knew how to get around them. People wanted to hear certain things and so long as he appealed to that he would be fine. "I'm nineteen," he said simply.

  
Both seemed to accept the answer as Pumat nodded. "Much older... I'm surprised you've lived this long."

  
Molly frowned. "That's comforting,"

  
"He knows how to fight." Yasha chimed in, gesturing at his swords. "When I saw him he was putting up quite the fight."

  
Pumat's eyes wandered down to his swords and he hummed. "Would you possibly mind if I took a look at those?"

  
With a brief shrug Molly handed them over. The swords weren't anything special, just something sharp enough to fight with that he stole the first time he was attacked. They were pretty enough- but he wasn't exactly carrying around a family heirloom. Because that would require having a family. What made them powerful was his own weird abilities that even he didn't understand. But they didn't know that.

  
"Well- these are certainly something." Pumat said after examining them and handing them back. "They're not any of ours. Now- if you don't mind me asking- how did you learn to fight? Surely someone taught you?"

  
Again, Molly instantly came up with more bullshit. He wasn't concerned with keeping his story straight now that he was in a larger group of people, if people asked him questions he'd come up with it as he went. The stories came naturally to his lips.

  
"My father trained me to fight when I was young. He'd grown up with priests, a really peaceful lot. But the entire Church got attacked and my old man was the only man to make it out alive. After seeing how well pacifism went for them, he didn't want the same to happen to me."

  
Unlike with the swords, Pumat looked him over a few times before slowly nodding. Molly wasn't sure if Pumat believe him but frankly he didn't care. "Well, your dad probably kept you alive... I'm sure you've had to fight off your share of monsters."

  
Molly just nodded in agreement. "I've been fighting them off for forever- it's a miracle I haven't gotten knocked out like this before."

  
Pumat and Yasha nodded again so Molly assumed he gave them the right answer. Well- that one wasn't even a full lie. Getting attacked was one of his first memories.

  
"Indeed." Pumat agreed. He looked down at his desk then back up at Yasha. "Yasha, would you mind giving Mollymauk the explanation? I'm sure he has a lot of questions and I'd love to answer them but-"

  
"I can do that." Yasha cut him off with a small nod. She pulled at Molly's elbow again, walking him back onto the porch. She waved him over towards the railing and leaned against it, hair falling over her shoulders. "Like Pumat said- you probably have a lot of questions so... ask."

  
Molly carefully walked up besides her and leaned over the railing as well. "Where do I begin?"

  
Yasha looked at him carefully. When she said nothing he sighed.

  
"Well- let's start with the basics. What is a half blood anyways?"

  
Yasha nodded. "That is a good first question." she said. "A half blood is a person who is half mortal, and then half greek god. Since you were able to see this camp, and you had a monster chasing you, that means you're a half blood." she explained. "All of us have a greek god as a parent."

  
Molly nodded carefully along. "And my blood, would that be why I had monsters chasing me every step of the way?"

  
Yasha nodded. "Yes. It's dangerous for us in the world. That's why this camp exists."

  
Molly tapped his nails on the wood, simply nodding.

  
"You don't seem surprised?"

  
Molly shrugged, resting his chin on his hand and looking over at her. "Well, dear old dad was into some really strange things. He talked so much about the gods and the old priests that it doesn't surprise me much I guess? I should of expected I had some god in me."

  
Honestly, he really wasn't surprised. Maybe it was just that he had no concept of what was actually normal. You sort of loose any concept when you've spent your entire life sprinting away from monsters in the middle of New York City. But beyond that, something about this news felt right. Of course he was half god. The knowledge felt like it had always been a part of him.

  
"Oh." Yasha nodded. "Your father then... he was mortal?"

  
Molly nodded. "As mortal as you can be." he lied.

  
"And... where is he now?"

  
Molly kept tapping his fingers on the wood, the pace speeding up. "He's off somewhere- probably still praying or fighting. He got too wrapped up in the religion- it wasn't my style so I ran away... and here I am. I'm sure he's fine."

  
Yasha frowned. "I'm sorry." she said awkwardly, pushing herself back off the railing. "If it's worth anything, knowing your father is mortal will make narrowing down your parent easier..."

  
Molly pushed off as well and followed her down the steps back onto the grass. "What- wait. Do you just go around blindly guessing who's parent is who? There has got to be an easier way to go about that."

  
"There is." Yasha said. "Your godly parent will claim you. It should happen in the new few days, but occasionally it takes longer." She started walking and Molly quickly tailed after her. "When it does, we like to guess."

  
"That's... understandable I suppose." Molly admitted. Molly wasn't one to guess about his past, but he could see the appeal in knowing one of his parents... It would be nice. Maybe it would explain a few things about himself. "So, who's your godly parent?"

  
"Huh?" Yasha stopped walking, as if caught off guard by the question.

  
"Everyone has a godly parent here, right? What's yours?" Molly asked again, looking over at her.

  
"Oh," Yasha paused awkwardly, rocking on both of her feet. Then instead of verbally she answered she started walking again. Confused, Molly jogged to keep up with her long stride. Without a word she passed by most of the cabins, stopping at the very last one. "Here."

  
Molly looked up at the large cabin ahead of him. Unlike the other cabins, this one resembled a shrine more so than any sort of home. It was entirely marble and intricately designed, as though it had been sculpted by one of the gods themselves. Above the doorway there was a statue of a cawing eagle, wings raised in an attack position. It looked moments from flying off of it's perch and actually attacking them.

  
When he looked over Yasha looked solemn, more so than she did already. She stared up at the eagle.

  
"And... this is?" Molly asked, squinting back up at the cabin.

  
Yasha finally tore her eyes away from the cabin and looked down at him, tilting her head. "You don't know?"

  
Molly shook his head, crossing his arms behind his head. "I want to say it's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't name it." he said truthfully. Something about it _was_ familiar.

  
Yasha nodded slowly. "Well... my father is Zeus, god of storms and the sky-"

  
"Well that's not right."

  
Yasha blinked, looking at him in pure confusion. Molly found himself blinking back, just as baffled.

  
Where did _that_ come from.

  
The words had left him without any of his consent, it was like an instinct. Something about this was...... wrong. It wasn't bad, he didn't feel unsafe, but it was incorrect. Like when you're reading an outdated textbook.

  
"I'm.... sorry?" Yasha slowly said.

  
Molly shook his head and started tapping his nails on the top of his swords. Great- he'd have to cover for that because if he didn't they'd start asking questions that he didn't have the answer to.

  
"Um- it was something my dad would say. When I was a kid. About Zeus- you know." Molly said awkwardly. It wasn't his best bullshit, not by a longshot. But he was so thrown off by his own actions he wasn't sure what to do.

  
Yasha was completely unreadable for another few moments, but slowly- ever so slowly- her face grew into a small smile. She laughed.

  
"I suppose your dad's right... there's something not right about him." She joked carefully, glancing up at the sky like she expected Zeus to hear her and smite her for making fun of him. Molly supposed it wasn't impossible. But more importantly- this meant she bought his bullshit.

  
"He was wrong about a lot- but right about a few things." Molly said and shrugged.

  
"That is how most people are." Yasha said and finally turned away from the cabin with a shake of her head. "Alright- well. I should take you on the rest of the tour? Let me know if you have any other questions."

  
Molly tailed behind Yasha, listening as she gave him the run down of the camp. There was archery, swordfighting, horseback riding. By the dining area there was a gigantic fire pit, big enough that the entire camp could crowd around it and even those furthest back would remain warm. The entire place felt incredibly... homey. It all seemed lived in. As Yasha spoke about Capture the Flag- apparently the camp took the game seriously- he noticed that she kept glancing over at him expectantly.

  
"Is there a problem?" he asked, stopping by the practice fields.

  
Yasha stopped as well, turning to face him. She shifted again. "I'm just surprised you're taking it so well?"

 

  
"Is that a bad thing?"

  
Yasha shook her head, leaning back against a tree. "No- I suppose not. People normally just..." she gestured vaguely with her hands.

  
"Panic?" Molly said and Yash nodded. "Well don't hold your breath- I am a perfectly well adjusted individual."

  
Yasha looked quizzical, she always seemed to, but she nodded. "All right.... Well," she glanced up at the sky. "We'll be having dinner soon, I should take you." she decided and started walking again. She lead him back to the dining area, and now Molly could see everyone crowded around the tables. She showed him where to get his food before walking over and wordlessly placing some into the fire. He looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Oh- you put some into the fire as a tribute to the gods. Normally with a prayer." she explained.

  
Molly slowly nodded, looking down at his plate then back at the fire ahead of him. "All right..." he said slowly. He pushed some into the fire.

  
Molly wasn't big on prayer, it was one of the things he decided about himself in the past two weeks. He didn't even know the gods existed until today and.... well- why should he pray to them? Surely his godly parent _knew_ he had been fighting tooth and nail with no memories to survive. If so why didn't they do anything to help him? Why hadn't they give him any guidance or help.

  
"Are you all right, Mollymauk?" Yasha asked softly and Molly shook his head, realizing he had gone tense.

  
"Of course, everything's fine." Molly smiled and stepped away so another camper could make a tribute. "Come on- let's go eat."

  
Yasha walked over to a table and put down her food before shaking her head. "No-um. We sit with our siblings?"

  
Molly glanced around. "Then where are yours?"

  
Yasha started shifting, clearly uncomfortable. "Well- you see. I'm the only one. Zeus isn't... supposed to have children. So I sit alone."

  
Without even thinking about Molly dropped himself into the spot next to Yasha, making himself comfortable. "Well that's stupid. As if I'd let you sit here alone."

  
It wasn't a big gesture, but Molly made a decision in that moment. He wasn't going to just let himself be bossed around. Not by some stupid camp rules- not by his past- and certainly not by the gods. Life was too short, and he was already missing to much of it, for him to just sit down and go do whatever people told him too.

  
"Mollymauk-"

  
"Molly." he said, cutting her off. "It's Molly to my friends, and that's what we are now. We're friends. And friends don't let each other sit here alone. You won't change my mind."

  
Yasha looked at him, completely perplexed. She laughed softly and shook her head. "You are strange." she said but started eating so he took it as a victory.

  
"So I've been told." Now that was true.

  
The two lapsed into a comfortable silence as they ate. They got a few weird glances, but Molly was used to those by now. He didn't know if it was because he was new or because he was with Yasha- but he didn't care.

  
When they were finishing up their meal Pumat stood up from where he was sitting and cleared his throat. His large arm was partially blocking the man who at some point appeared next to him.

  
"Hello there, everyone." Pumat said, slow as ever. "I am sure some of you have noticed we have a new camper with us. And I am sure you will all give him a _warm_ Camp Half Blood welcome. Isn't that right?" There were murmured responses through the camp but none of them seemed hostile. "Now he has yet to be claimed, but I know we all eagerly await the moment when we learn who is Mollymauk's godly father and or mother. So until that moment, Mollymauk will be sleeping in the Hermes cabin."

  
Yasha gently tapped Molly's shoulder and pointed at easily the most crowded table. He recognized one face there, the blue haired girl that had helped heal him earlier. She looked back at him and grinned, waving excitedly.

  
"Now- I will let you all get all back to your there meals. But I do just want to give everyone a friendly little reminder, just in case you forgot, that we will be having a campfire again tomorrow. And I do hope to see everyone there."

  
As Pumat sat down Yasha stood up again, waving for Molly to follow. "The campfire is nice." she said softly. "And I'll take you to Jester. She's head of Hermes Cabin, and quite nice. "

  
Yasha walked him over to the large table as they stood up and started walking back. Jester ran over, practically squeaking as she waved excitedly. "Molly! You will _love_ the Hermes cabin- there is a lot of us but it is very nice! Like- _verryyy_ nice I made sure of it!" she said, absolutely beaming.

  
"You are in good hands." Yasha said, patting Molly's back and pushing him towards Jester. He glanced back at her quickly before stepping towards Jester. "I will see you tomorrow," with a small nod she walked off towards her solitary cabin.

  
He took a quick breath, centering himself. He could focus on making Yasha's no doubt dreadfully lonesome cabin more lifelike later- no point in dreading instead of living in the moment. He looked back as Jester grabed his arm and started skipping, dragging him after the group towards a cabin.

  
"So! The cabin is under some construction so I will admit it _is_ a bit crowded- even though everyone's claimed Hermes still well- you know." she giggled. "But! We'll get you a nice place until you've got a place of your own!" she promised, leaning closer to him and stage whispering. "You know- I bet your one of Aphrodite's." she said, giggling as though she had just told the funniest joke. He didn't get it.

  
"That's not it, darling." he said, not sure how he knew it but he just... knew it was wrong.

  
"Well- you never know!" she shrugged, not put off, and opened the door for him.

  
She wasn't kidding when she said the cabin was crowded.

  
There were bunk beds lined one after the other against every single wall, and he could see through the small door into the other part of the cabin that it was the same continuing on. Every bunk was covered in belongings, like everyone claimed their own corner as their own. It was nice. It was big enough to fit everyone, though he noticed everything looked new. Like they had just moved in a few months ago.

  
Jester continued dragging him in without pausing. "So! We'll have to find a place for our new friend to stay- unless someone wants to spoon?" she called out, spinning on her heel to look around the cabin. No one volunteered. "Come ooonnn! I'd volunteer but there's no room in my bunk, so come on!" she walked through the cabin with Molly following casually.

  
Jester kept twirling through the open walkways, looking pointedly at different campers until someone offered. Everyone just avoided eye contact or just laughed like they were used to her antics.

  
"We have a free bunk." A voice from the corner said, and all at once the tone of the room shifted.

  
Molly had never seen a room go so tense because of five words.

  
Jester slowly turned to the camper, who was easily a few years older than the blue haired girl. The boy in question sat on the corner of his bunk, legs dangling off as he leaned forwards.

  
"Jester, you know we have a free bunk." he said softly.

  
She crossed her arms and dug her feet into the floor of the cabin, lifting her chin. "We don't give away bunks when a camper goes off. Just because she isn't here doesn't mean-"

  
"She didn't go off,"

  
"DOESN'T MEAN-" Jester continued on loudly, closing her eyes tightly and screwing her face up. "It doesn't mean we give away her bunk! She'll want it when she comes back!"

  
"She's not coming back, Jester." The boy said softly and slipped off the bunk. "She- she's never coming back and you can't stay in denial-" The boy wasn't being harsh, but it sounded like a conversation they've had a dozen times before. The entire cabin shifted awkwardly, busying themselves to avoid watching. Everyone seemed exhausted, clearly not wanting to watch the argument or even think about the subject at hand.

  
"I'm not in denial! I just know she's coming back- and she's very protective of her space so she'll be really upset if someone else stays there!"

  
"You're in denial, Jester! She's not- she's never coming back-"

  
Jester covered her ears, spinning to look away and starting to yell. "You don't know that!"

  
"Jester-"

  
"She's coming back!! She's out bringing back half bloods and she's going to come back and she's going to want her bunk-"

"Jester-"

  
"We can't just give her bunk away because it's hers and when she returns she'll-" Jester's voice cracked and Molly could see her breathing quicken. The bright girl who greeted Molly when he woke up suddenly seemed so far away as Jester kept yelling to block out the camper's voice, choking over her words as she forced back tears. "When she returns she'll want it-"

  
"Nott's _dead_ , Jester!"

  
You could hear a pin drop.

  
There had been a feeling covering the cabin like a blanket and Molly could finally identify it: Mourning. Everyone lowered their head, shifting uncomfortably.

  
The boy speaking with Jester sighed, looking down at the floor. His voice had broken slightly- like just saying it was reopening the wound. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "Nott- she wouldn't want you to- she wouldn't want you to spend your life in denial, Jester. It hurts- and it sucks- but we have to accept she... she isn't hiding somewhere training a half blood. She's not coming back."

  
Jester wiped at her eyes, deflating and shaking her head slowly. "There wasn't a body- they would of found a body-"

  
"You weren't here, Jester. You didn't see the fire-"

  
"No one else died! No one- no one died in the fire!"

  
The boy shook his head, it seemed to hurt him as much as it hurt Jester. "But she _did_ ,"

  
"She didn't die!! Because- because it's not fair!" Jester's voice cracked again and a few tears started sliding down her face. "It's not _fair_ that everyone else made it out alive but she died! _It's not fair!_ "

  
"I know- I know it's not fair..." He said softly and walked up to Jester, placing a hand on her back and leading her to one of the bunks. He sat her on the bed and she laid down, curling up tightly.

  
"She's coming back," Jester mumbled, exhausted. The boy just sighed and put a blanket over her.

  
The boy turned back to Molly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Come on- I'll bring you to Nott's bunk. It's not the most comfortable- all of her things are still there and she was a bit of a hoarder." he explained and lead Molly over to the bunk closest to the door. The bottom bunk was covered in various bobbles and jewels, it looked like a dragon's horder. As he climbed to the top bunk he saw more of the same. The bed looked completely unslept in but was covered in belongings.

  
"What-" Molly started to ask but the boy held up his hand.

  
"You can ask about things tomorrow, the cabin's... tired right now." he said and Molly slowly nodded. "G'night, we'll have breakfeast in the morning."

  
The boy went back to his bunk and Molly climbed onto the top. He tried to move the items around as little as possible, but there were so many knick nacks he had to move some if he just wanted to fit on the bed. Eventually he got as comfortable as he could. There was an ornament under the mattress and digging into his back no matter where he laid down- but at least he was lying down. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayy sorry about the late update- ive just hit Major Writer's BlockTM so i havent been able to update any of my fics. But I've had this sitting around for awhile so thought it was about time I posted it. 
> 
> the next chapter will probably be up soon because I don't want to leave it on this Sour Note for too long lol. 
> 
> hmu on tumblr: @tragedyboycentral


	3. Dream Dunkin Donuts

When Molly opened his eyes he was in a city he didn't recognize.

  
It wasn't New York though, that was for certain. The streets around him curved in random directions with no clear rhyme or reason.

  
There were people walking all around him as well as cars driving by, but they were all monochrome and almost blurred. He tried to walk over to one of the strangers and waved his hand in front of their face, only to grab his chest as they walked right through him. There wasn't a bit of hesitation of even a chill. Molly simply... wasn't there.

  
Taking a few stumbled steps back he grabbed for his swords, tensing as soon as he realized they weren't there. He didn't have any of his belongings- _shit_. Where the fuck was he?

  
Trying to get his bearings he slowly started walking. At least if he was walking he was doing _something_ , action would always beat out standing still in his books. He walked down a few roads, turning randomly and passing by buildings just as blurred as the rest of the world. He walked through a large park, past what looked like a pond and further past a park and then a fountain. And then he saw it- _finally_. Something with color.

  
The building didn't stand out in it's design, but the vibrant purples and oranges made it pop in this world of gray scale. This had to be where he was supposed to go.

  
He approached the building, entering it silently. Almost everyone, all the workers and customers, were blurred out. All except one. There was a woman sitting at a table with her back to the wall, smiling kindly at Molly and waving him over.

  
The woman had long black curls that fell past her shoulders, dressed in a billowing black toga that was accented with silver trim and designs. A silver circlet was resting atop her head. Piercing blue eyes looked warmly at Molly as he sat down across from her. "Hello, Mollymauk." she greeted with another wave of her hands.

  
"Hello there," Molly said dubiously as he sat down. "And who exactly would you be?"

  
"Right to the point, aren't we?" The woman laughed softly, pushing some of her hair back.

  
"What can I say, I don't like to waste time."

  
The woman just continued smiling. "Very well, then. I'm Hecate, goddess of-"

  
"No." Molly said and shook his head before realizing what happened. It was the same feeling from Yasha's cabin. Or when Jester suggested he was a child of Aphrodite. Something this woman said was _wrong_.

  
"I expected as much." She laughed. "Does the name Trivia ring any bells, perhaps?"

  
Molly's frowned, eyes widening. That was right. His head started to hurt, a loud thumping in the back of his head, as he began thinking too much about it. "I- I know that." he rubbed his temples, trying to force himself out of his head and away from the pain. "But _why_ do I know that? It's- necromancy and magic. Mostly magic and witchcraft?" he said carefully, struggling with his words. He wasn't supposed to know this.

  
"That I can not tell you," Hecate said softly, looking genuinely apologetic.

  
"Why not?" Molly frowned.

  
She frowned, folding her hands together. "There's more at play than you know... But you knew my counterpart- Trivia- and that is why I'm here... I can not tell you why you knew her. But the gods are in danger, all the gods are in danger, and that is why I'm here. You began a quest- and soon you must finish it."

  
Molly frowned, standing up abruptly. The chair fell back to the floor with a loud crash but none of the figures in the store awknowledged it. "No- no way." he said decidedly.

  
"I know where this is going. You're going to send me on some weird quest- probably one with a _horribly_ vague prophecy- and I'll get wrapped up in the gods nonsense!" he didn't know where this was coming from, but he supposed it was just a part of the decision he had made earlier. He wasn't going to let his life be controlled by the whims of the gods, not when he was already missing so much time. "Well, I'm sorry but you can go to someone else's dream because I'm not making this mistake. No way- not happening. Have yourself a fine day."

  
Hecate wasn't caught off guard by his outburst, simply sighing again. "If I could go to someone else I would."

  
"There's plenty of other demigods- how about you go ask one of them!?"

  
"There will be others that join you... but you must be one of them." Hecate continued softly, not even standing up. "I wish I could tell you more, to prepare you, but I can not... Answers will come soon- I promise."

  
Molly crossed his arms, tapping his nails on them rapidly. "Then, and no offense, was the point of this?" Hecate hadn't told him _anything,_ all she did was put more questions into his already confused brain. Was this what the gods got off on? Confusing random half bloods? He wouldn't be surprised if that was actually the case.

  
Hecate smiled at him and shook her head. "No- I actually have to make a request of you.. It is a lot to ask, but I can promise you it will be worth it."

  
Molly frowned. "You are _really_ not selling me on this."

  
She laughed, a light sound. If he wasn't so pissed it would be nice. "I know, and I apologize I can not give you more answers."

  
Molly sighed and pulled the chair up before sitting down again, crossing his legs. "Alright- fine. I'm listening. But only because I don't know how to wake up. What side quest do you wish to give me?"

  
She smiled, sitting up straighter. "Thank you. It is simple in itself, I need you to deliver something for me." She reached up and took the circlet off of her head, placing it on the table in front of Molly's hands. "And I need you to protect this, it is powerful if in the right hands."

  
Molly looked down at the circlet. It looked simple enough, incredibly ornate and it had a diamond placed into the middle. "Would it be possible to get- I don't know- a destination? Or a name of who I'm delivering this too? It might come in handy." She laughed again softly. She turned her head over towards the door and Molly followed her lead.

  
A pair walked into the store quickly. Both were in color, but were fuzzy enough Molly knew he couldn't approach them. The first one was short, not even five feet. Long black hair covered her face, and in the right light he could swear he saw shades of green. She was dressed in baggy green clothes and had all sorts of jewelry and shiny things dangling from her belt. She quickly lead the other up to the counter to place an order.

  
But Hecate wasn't looking at her, no. Hecate was only looking at the taller man. He looked ratty- his jacket and scarf had clearly seen better days. Dark ginger hair obscured part of his face, but what Molly could see looked absolutely exhausted. It was as though he hadn't slept in weeks.

  
Hecate was staring at him, a sad smile on her face. Molly noticed she brought a hand up to a ring on her hand and started fiddling it absentmindedly. It was odd, seeing a god fidgeting. But something about this man's entrance immediately made Hecate more human.

  
"I need you to give it to my son... Your quest will take you to him. He is far more than he seems, and more than he realizes." Hecate said, incredibly fond.

  
"Is there a reason you can't give it to him yourself?" Molly asked, and Hecate's gaze didn't leave her son.

  
"There is a lot going on... and it would be difficult, if not impossible, for me to interfere directly."

  
"You know- you gods are a confusing lot."

  
Hecate nodded. "Yes... I can not argue with that."

  
Molly looked back over at the man. He had stepped to the side and was sipping his drink while the smaller girl waited over at the counter. Molly could get a better look at his face now. He shared his mother's piercing eyes, and even though he was so dirty he managed to be quite handsome. It was a shame he looked so absolutely exhausted.

  
The girl got a bag and passed the man a donut before taking his hand carefully and leading him out of the store. Finally, Hecate looked at him again.

  
"So, will you do me this?"

  
Molly ran a hand through his hair. He wanted to say no. He wanted to say _fuck_ the gods and leave here. But there was something about the way the mother looked at her son that pulled at Molly's heartstrings. Molly liked making people happy. He hadn't done much in his life so far, but he already had experienced how happy he got when he made another person smile. So if he could make a goddess happy, give that dirty man her gift, while saving the world? He would like that.

  
"I... can't think of a reason to say no."

  
Hecate's smile grew, this one reaching her eyes. "Thank you, Mollymauk." she said and tapped a finger to the circlet. It glowed a bright color, and the light swelled. It sweelled until it was blinding and filled the entire room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so! this chapter was on the shorter side so sorry about that.^^"" i just sort of liked this better as its Own Chapter instead of tagged onto the next one like i originally had. as well as the next chapter sort of ends w/ some Exposition so i thought it would be nice to space em out <3 
> 
>  
> 
> but thank you so!! much!!!! everyone who commented and left kudos??!!!! I know this fic is a bit slow to start up, and due to sickness and me Just getting out or sugery updates arent the fastest, so legit kudos and comments make me SOOO happy even if i dont really reply much ^^""


	4. This Is How You Make Friends, Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ganna be honest cha boi was ganna wait til Tuesday but I just really needed some validation so here i am

When Molly woke up the world was in color again.

  
He stared up at the ceiling, ignoring the jabbing of an ornament in his back and listening to the bustling sounds of everyone getting up to start the morning. From the bunk's location he could hear the door repeatedly opening and closing as campers made their way out to start the day. After a few minutes he rolled over, glancing about.

  
Jester was still sound asleep, clinging to the necklace around her neck as though it was a teddy bear. With her asleep the same older camper from the night before was helping the younger ones out of their beds and setting them off for the day.

  
After a few minutes he looked over, smiling and meeting Molly's eyes. "Good morning," he said, walking over. He kept his voice down so as not to wake anyone. "Sorry about last night... Not a great welcome to camp. Breakfast starts soon- just follow anyone and you'll make it."

  
Molly yawned and sat up slowly and nodded, stretching and hearing his joints crack in a hundred different ways. He crawled down, grabbing his swords and sliding them back into his belt. He probably wouldn't get attacked when he ate breakfast- Probably. But he wanted to be ready. Outside of the camp, whenever he thought he was somewhere safe something surprised him and tried to kill him. So he wasn't ready to drop the paranoia just yet. That paranoia kept him alive after all.

  
When Molly got to the dining area again he immediately looked for Yasha. He was still strong in his conviction that she was his friend, and under no circumstances was she going to be eating alone just because of some stupid camp rules. She was at her table, this time with another girl leaning over and talking to her. She glanced around, waving slightly when she saw him. The other girl didn't acknowledge him.

  
"Lovely morning," Molly greeted and slid onto the bench next to Yasha. The girl immediately stopped talking.

  
"Good morning, Mollymauk." Yasha said, looking away from the girl. "Molly, this is Beauregard- Beauregard this is-"

  
"Molly- I got that." Beau cut Yasha off. She had a gruff voice, and it was fitting of her appearance. She had an undercut, and the long part of her hair was pulled back into a bun to keep it out of the way.

  
"Charmed," Molly said, not knowing what to make of her.

  
Beau crossed her arms. "So you're, uhh, you're the new guy? The one Pumat was talkin' about?"

  
Molly put on a smile. "The one and only."

  
She nodded carefully, looking Molly over. It was like she was analyzing him, making mental notes of any strengths or weaknesses that she came across. "So- do you got any clue who your godly parent is?"

  
Molly shrugged, waving a hand. "No idea. Dear departed mom never mentioned bedding a god,"

  
From beside him, Yasha blinked a few times. "I thought your human parent was your father?"

  
"Did I?"

  
Yasha raised an eyebrow, staring at Molly. "Yes... you said your father was a priest."

  
"Oh," Molly rubbed the back of his neck and continued lying. "Yes, well. My mom died when I was just a kid, dad took over afterwards."

  
Yasha and Beau exchanged a quick look. Beau didn't believe a word Molly said, but Yasha seemed at least ready to hear him out. "Did they ever tell you which one adopted you?"

  
Molly shrugged, continuing to eat so he didn't have to look at them. "Nope- they never got into that. It's almost as if no one wanted to admit they cheated on the other with a powerful deity," he said sarcastically.

  
"Still, that's the type of thing that should come up... You know- when monsters start coming around." Beau said, still staring flatly at Molly.

  
"Don't look at me, there's always a chance they just didn't get a chance before mom died." Molly replied with a shrug. He wasn't going to panic every time someone didn't believe his lies, he wouldn't make it a day if he was that jumpy.

  
"Yeah. I'm sure that's the case."

  
Molly looked up at her over his cup. "You seem awfully inclined to ask questions. So how about you? Who in your family screwed a god?"

  
Beau made a face, straightening her posture. "My mom. My dad's Ares."

  
"That explains your endless charm,"

  
Beau grunted, but before either of them could say something ruder and instigate an actual fight Yasha stepped in. Molly didn't have any actual ill intent, he just enjoyed pushing her already, but he understood Yasha's worry. "Molly, Beau's one of the best fighters at camp. She trains some of the recruits. Beau, Molly's not too bad with his swords. I saw him fighting when he first arrived."

  
Beau blushed a bit, pulling at her earring then crossing her arms again. "Yeah, you arrived when he got his ass kicked, right?"

  
"I was actually after I killed the giant serpent."

  
"The same serpent that, as I said, kicked you on your ass."

  
Trying to get the last word Beau stepped back and crossed her arms. "So, Yasha. Will I- uh... see you at the campfire?" she asked, turning her focus back to Yasha.

  
Yasha awkwardly pulled her hair back, nodding. "Oh- yes. Of course."

  
"Cool, cool." Beua nodded a few times before going back to her table, leaving the two of them alone.

  
"Well, she's certainly a charmer." Molly said and stretched out, looking Yasha over. "Was definitely fond of you."

  
Yasha blushed, avoiding eye contact and poking the food around her place. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

  
Molly raised an eyebrow. He didn't need a memory to recognize a crush when he saw it. "Oh come on. " he teased. "Did we both watch the same conversation?"

  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Yasha repeated.

  
"Alright, then I'll spell it out. You like her."

  
Yasha's face turned a darker red and she downed her drink."She's a good camper... and a good fighter. I've known her for awhile. Can we just-" she sighed, "Can we change the topic?"

  
Molly quirked an eyebrow but gave in, not wanting to make her actually uncomfortable. He liked teasing, but within reason. He didn't want to actually upset Yasha or push further than welcome. "Alright," he agreed, looking around the campground for another topic of conversation. His eyes landed on a table at the far end where Fjord was sitting alone. "Okay- there's a new topic of conversation. Why's Fjord sitting on his own?"

  
"Fjord?" Yasha looked over at him.

  
Fjord had his head ducked down as he sleepily poked at his plate, yawning and dropping his cheek against his hand. He looked bored out of his mind. Molly'd have to fix that.

  
"Yeah, who's his parent?"

  
Yasha pushed one of her braids back. "Fjord's... unique." she started. "He's claimed by Posiedon."

  
" _Claimed_ by? Is he not actually-"

  
"We don't know," Yasha shrugged. "Children of Posiedon are rare, as rare as children of Zeus. But his powers aren't like any other children of Posiedon before him. But... he has to sleep somewhere. So he stays in Posiedon's cabin." she explained.

  
Molly nodded carefully. He didn't know much about half-bloods being claimed, how could he when he wasn't even claimed himself, but that definitely wasn't normal. Still- Molly wouldn't let that stop him. Fjord seemed nice and was one of the people who saved Molly, his godly parent be damned.

  
"Fjord! Hey! Hey, Fjord!" Molly called, standing up and waving widely.

  
Fjord glanced over, made eye contact, then quickly lowered his head.

  
"Fjord! Don't you think you can ignore me!" He jumped off the bench and glanced at Yasha. "I'll be right back," he said, jogging over to Fjord's table and sitting across from him. "Fjord, I know you can hear me."

  
Fjord kept hsi head down but looked up at him. "It's hard not to. You're mighty loud."

  
"Hurts you didn't reply then."

  
"I mean no offense, but shouldn't you be with your own cabin right now?"

  
"If I had a proper cabin I might be, but as it goes I'm still unclaimed. But _that_ is not the point." he said, poking a nail into the table. " _You_ shouldn't be eating alone. It's downright depressing. So how about you pick up your plate and we'll go sit with Yasha."

  
Fjord rubbed the back of his neck, sighing and finally lifting his head to properly look at Molly. "You know, I appreciate what you're tryin' to do here, but I can promise you I'm just fine eating alone. I've been doing it for awhile now."

"You see? That's even more depressing than I originally thought. So c'mon, come sit with me and Yasha or I'll start making a scene."

  
"You're already doing that just fine." Fjord said, and as Molly glanced about he could see a few campers were starting to 'subtly' give them side eyes.

  
"Oh- you haven't seen _anything_ yet."

  
"You know. I'm no expert but I don't think inviting someone is supposed to sound like a threat."

  
Molly shrugged and waved a hand. "I've never been traditional about these things. But the face still stands. You can come and enjoy some _wonderful_ company as you finish your meal. Or I'll take your plate and run faster than you can chase me."

  
Fjord let out a long sigh, dragging his hand down his face. "Fine." he conceded and Molly beamed. Molly jumped up and Fjord picked up his plate, following Molly as he ran back.

  
"Yasha! Darling! I got us another one." Molly called as he slipped back into his spot across from Yasha happily. Fjord seemed sheepish as he sat next to Yasha, nodding at her in greeting as he sat.

 

"Morning, Yasha. Were you in on.. all this?" he asked.

  
Yasha shook her head. "I looked down, and when I looked up he was running at you." she said, but she was smiling fondly nonetheless.

  
Fjord nodded and looked back at Molly. "You know, there normally is... a system to this. I'm not a big fan of the system but, you know, sometimes its best not to rock the boat."   
"I don't see any signs of the apocalypse. You're eating with friends, no harm done." Molly said simply. "And Pumat has yet to forcibly throw either of us back at our own tables so I think we're fine."

  
"It's not Pumat I'm worried about."

  
Molly raised an eyebrow, tilting his head. Instead of answering properly Fjord just pointed towards the main table where Pumat was sitting. Since Pumat was sitting his massive arm no longer blocked the man that was next to him. He was dressed in a dark blue cat with leather gloves, had a dark goatee, and long black hair falling just behind his shoulders. He looked as though he just got out of the shower. The man was eating with one hand, his head resting disinterestedly on the other.

  
"And who would that be?" Molly asked, looking back at Fjord.

  
"You haven't met him?" Fjord asked, Molly shook his head. "That'd be The Gentleman and he's..."

  
"He's insane." Yasha said softly without missing a beat.

  
"That's one way to put it." Fjord agreed. "He likes to send kids out on quests. Normally it's just because he's bored enough to check on the oracle but I swear he makes them up sometimes."

  
"It's true." a gruff voice said from behind them and suddenly Beau was slipping in besides Molly.

  
"Aren't you supposed to be at the Ares table?" Molly asked.

  
"What, _now_ you give a shit about sitting at the right table? I figured if there was a party going on here I wanted in." she said, glancing at Yasha before quickly looking back at Molly. "But they're right. He sent a few kids on a quest awhile ago and the only instructions they had was to look for the man named Febron with no teeth. They found the guy by some miracle. And all he did was take twenty drachmas from the kids and tell them to go fuck themselves."

  
"I'm convinced it was just The Gentleman in disguise." Fjord added in.

  
"I can second that." Beau agreed.

  
"So... who is this man out of curiosity? And why is he supposedly fucking with so many campers?" Molly asked.

  
"It's what he does." Beau said bluntly, so Molly turned his attention towards Fjord instead.

  
"We don't know much of him, he doesn't exactly offer us campers much information. But he's been here for awhile, longer than most of us. Rumor has it he's a son of Dionysus? Did well on some quest or another back in his camp days and found himself becoming a minor god." Fjord started to explain. "Apparently he had a... falling out of sorts with his father, again I don't know the details, and that landed him here... He's all right if you don't piss him off... I wouldn't gamble with him though."

  
Molly looked back over at the Gentleman, squinting at him. "That man over there is a god? really?"

  
"He is only a minor one. I believe I heard Pumat saying he's a god of crime and acid or something." Yasha added in softly. "He is more powerful than he appears. Fjord is right when he says gambling with him can be quite a dangerous thing, and he knows his way around a sword."

  
"Interesting." Molly continued squinting at The Gentleman, not knowing what he was even looking for. After a few moments, as if sensing the gaze boring into him, he looked over. The Gentleman looked right back at Molly and stared him down. He quirked an eyebrow, and in the light Molly could of sworn his skin had a blueish tint. Molly stared him back down.

  
The Gentleman slowly started narrowing his eyes, and before their stare down could go any further Beau punched his shoulder to get his attention.

  
"Dude, what the fuck." Beau said. "We just told you he's a god, don't try and start a fight."

  
"I wasn't starting a fight I was just... looking." Molly insisted but stopped staring at The Gentleman.

  
"Yeah, well look at something else." she said. Molly stuck out his tongue at her, she stuck her back quickly then went back to eating. There was a minute of silence, but Beau broke it with another comment. "The Hermes cabin is training with the Hermes one later. Guess we'll see if you actually know how to use those swords."

  
Molly grinned toothily, tapping his nails on his scimitars. "I'd say I'm pretty good. I've managed to fight my way every day before making it to this camp and from what I've been told, apparently that's impressive."

  
"I'll be the judge of that." Beau said. She was smiling, a slight smirk in her voice.

  
"Would that be a challenge?"

  
Beau shrugged, a slow smile crossing her face. Molly grinned back, playing absentmindedly with one of the jewels hanging off of his sword.

  
Oh this could be fun. Camp could be quite fun. Molly decided that he made the right choice in the people he chose to be his friends. It was still early, and he didn't know them much, but something about these people felt _right_. Maybe he could invite Jester over for lunch later that day, something told him she would fit right into this group. When breakfast came to a close Beau returned to her table, and Fjord went back to his cabin. Then, speak of the devil, Jester popped up behind him.

  
She looked tired, but she was grinning brightly again. There was a clear effort in her smile. "Good morning, Molly!" she greeted brightly, waving and approaching the table as him and Yasha got up. "Good morning, Yasha!"

  
"Morning, Jester." Yasha smiled softly.

  
"Will you be training with us today, Yasha?? I know you like to train with Ares," she said, whispering the last part conspiratorially. Yasha blushed, glancing aside and nodding.

  
"Yes, yes I will be training with you. You are good cabins to train with... There are certainly a lot of good fighters." Yasha said softly and Jester's grin grew. She leaned up against Yasha's arm and bounced her eyebrows up and down. "Very good fighters."

  
"I am suuurreee," Jester drew out and giggled, before turning back to Molly. "Alright, now if you want to shower we _really_ should be going. Our showers are still under construction so if you want to get in early we need to run."

  
"Oh," Molly could just imagine trying to rush everyone in that cabin in and our of the showers.

  
"You know... my bathroom is equipped with two showers. If you were okay with it, Jester, Mollymauk could shower in my cabin." Yasha offered after a few moments.

  
Jester tilted his head, rocking back and fourth on her feet. "Are you surree?"

  
Yasha nodded, pushing some of her hair back over her shoulder. "Yes. Molly... seems like a good friend. I'd like to help." she said. "I'd offer the same to you but I know you have to watch your cabin."

  
Jester puffed out her cheeks and nodded. "Well... if you are _sure._ " she said. "But make sure you bring him back! It would look really bad if you stole one of my campers before they got claimed."

  
Yasha laughed softly. "I promise I will return him safe to you. Come on, Molly." she said.

  
Molly gave Jester a wave and followed Yasha back towards the cabin. She lead him into the large building, and gods it was just as cold looking inside as it did from the outside. It was all in marble. A large statue of Zeus stood in the center of the room and no matter where Molly went it felt like he was staring down at him.

  
"This is... certainly something." Molly said slowly, walking in circles.

  
Yasha stood at the side of the room and watched him, and amused smile on his face. "That is one way to describe it."

  
"How do you _sleep?_ "

  
With a small laugh Yasha walked around the statue, gesturing towards a small corner tucked behind it. A cot was tucked between the back of the statue and the wall, there was a book on top of the pillow and a gigantic sword he recognized as hers paying underneath. "It's the only spot in this cabin I don't feel like he's watching..."

  
"That's fair. I can't imagine sleeping with dear old dad constantly watching you."

  
"It isn't easy." Yasha smiled then walked back over to the other side of the room. She opened up a small door and lead Molly into the bathroom. There was two showers, both with a curtain that could be pulled for privacy.

Molly stepped behind the curtain, tossing his clothes into a pile. "You know, thanks, Yasha. You didn't have to do this." he called.

  
He could make out the top of Yasha's head, she was too tall to fully fit in the shower, and saw her shrug. "I meant what I said... I know we haven't known eachother long. But I consider you a good friend. I think we'll get along well." she said.

  
Molly was absolutely beaming, bouncing on his feet. "I'd like that."

  
The two of them lapsed into silence. But it was nice. Molly turned the water up so it was almost scalding, humming underneath the water. Showers had been hard to come by, he had mastered the art of sneaking into the gym before he had left the city, so he was trying to scrub a lot of grime off. He smiled to himself, carefully washing over the scars that crisscrossed his body and watching his skin turn red from the heat.

  
He washed out his hair, watching the shampoo and warm water run down his body. His eyes dropped town towards his arm and the tattoos sprawling down it. They had been covered before by the long sleeved shirt he had, but even a short sleeved shirt would make them clear.

  
The first tattoo, if you could even call it that, was into the inner side of his upper right arm. Sixteen dark lines went down underneath it, and on top there was a symbol of... something. It was heavily scarred over and too faded to make out. But the entire piece was a dark brown, like it was burnt in instead of ink.

  
The second piece was more traditionally tattoo-like. On his left arm there was an ironically simple piece of a peacock. It was resting on its tail feathers with its eyes closed gently. Molly always got the impression that the peacock was sleeping and during the nights he was trying to sleep in the corner of a subway station he'd indulge in dreams of it waking up and moving about.

  
He washed the tattoos carefully, taking special care over the peacock. The colors were so vibrant and he loved them, even if they were there when he woke up he couldn't help but feel it suited him, so he took care to make sure it didn't get scratched.

  
Molly stepped out of the shower, just tossing the curtain to the side. Sure they were there for privacy but modesty had never been his biggest quality. Yasha stepped out at the same time, not mentioning the face they were back in the buff.

  
He knew he chose his best friend well.

  
"You wouldn't happen to have anything my size, would you?" Molly asked, really not wanting to wear the same sweaty clothes.

  
"Oh," Yasha nodded. "Pumat should of left something..." she opened the door back into the main room of the cabin then smiled softly, picking something up and turning back to Molly with clothes in her hands. "There we go."

  
"Yasha- Pumat- both of you. You are _life savers._ " Molly grinned and took the clean outfit eagerly.

  
The outfit was nothing special, honestly it was too bland for his taste, but it was clean. And he could always add details and jewelry later so that he would feel more confident in the outfit. But for now the shorts would do. At least the shirt had some color. It was a dark orange with black text across the front reading out the name of Camp Half Blood. He tugged it over his head, enjoying the feeling of the soft fabric against his skin.

  
"So, Molly, um.... how are you adjusting to camp?" Yasha asked, redoing a few of her braids to pull the hair out of the way.

  
"It's all right," Molly said, doing his best to try out his hair.

  
"Are you sure? Because it seemed that you had something on your mind." Yasha said.

  
Molly shrugged a bit, pushing his wet curls into place and sitting down. "Well, I've suddenly ended up at a camp. There's a lot to think about." he said, then closed his eyes in thought and sighed. "Actually- no. No that's not it... How long have you been at camp?"

  
Yasha looked back at him, raising an eyebrow. "Um..." she glanced down at the necklace around her neck. "It's been awhile... Seven years. Why?"

  
Molly crossed his legs, laying his swords flat across his lap and playing with one of the dangling red jewels. He remembered Jester. She really was the only person missing from breakfast this morning, and when she _had_ appeared her smile had been so horribly forced. Everyone in the Hermes cabin had been miserable.

  
"Well, you've been here awhile then... I'm not super interested in the camp's history but, well, something came up last night I can't shake... Do you know who Nott is?" Molly asked, watching her carefully.

  
And there it was- the same tenseness from the cabin last night. Yasha's shoulders immediately squared up and she crossed her arms over her chest. Based off of the reaction alone Molly could come to one conclusion. Whoever Nott was, she was _important_ at this camp.

  
"She was... a friend. A good friend." Yasha said quietly. She left the bathroom, nodding for Molly to go with her. He tagged along and followed her back into the main room, then around the statue to the small cove that Yasha had made her own. She sat down on the cot, patting the spot next to her for him to join.

  
"And she's... dead?" Molly asked, noticing how Yasha's jaw set in place.

  
"Yes, yes." Yasha frowned, lowering her head. "You're going to hear about her eventually so... I suppose I should tell you. She was a friend- everyone's friend she was... good." she said, clearly struggling with the words. Molly reached over and took her hands, squeezing them gently. She smiled faintly then squeezed back.

  
Molly wanted to know what happened, but he knew he had to give Yasha time. He couldn't just force answers out of her. "Why don't you just tell me about her? You can get too what happened after."

  
"I would like that." Yasha said softly, taking a long shaky breath. "Nott actually brought me to camp... It's difficult, bringing a child of Zeus to camp. Monsters find me easily. Most people couldn't do it but she- she fought off the monsters who came after me single-handedly. She found me and brought me to camp... It was difficult, but she never gave up on me.

  
"And at camp she... she made it my home. That was what she did. She was a child of Hermes and a lot of her siblings used their sneakiness to get around and pull jokes, and she did that... but she also used it to bring campers home. She'd bring us home, make sure we were safe, and got us settled in..." Yasha smiled softly and laughed, shaking her head. "She never gave up on us... I once saw her after a quest- she went on them a lot... One of the kids sold her out to an ogre but she still jumped headfirst into a pack of wolves to save him. She could never leave a half blood behind."

  
"She sounds like quite the woman."

  
Yasha nodded. "She is... she- was." Her hand tightened around Molly's and he squeezed back.

  
"What happened?" Molly asked, voice barely above a whisper.

  
"She's gone." Yasha said, lowering her head.

  
She took a long, steadying breath. Slowly she lifted her face and continued. "There was a new camper she brought in. He was..." she closed her eyes tightly. "Wrong. At first he was kind. We got along quite well actually..."

  
"And I take it that didn't last?" Molly asked softly and she nodded again.

  
"No, it didn't... it was nice for a few days. But something happened and... when I went outside he was... surrounded in fire." Yasha explained carefully. Molly looked over, trying to read her face. But it was difficult. A part of her seemed exhausted, tired and sad and with he same kind of sadness as if she was watching a funeral procession go by. But he couldn't help but notice there was a spark in her eyes. Like this wasn't something she would ever take sitting down, she'd fight it.

  
"He was surrounded in fire and he was going after the cabins. The Hermes cabin burned to the ground, so did the Ares cabin and the Apollo cabin. I don't know what happened because he was there, people were running and screaming, and then he was _gone_. I was too busy trying to find him to notice that Nott was gone until it was too late... There wasn't even a body left."

  
"IF there wasn't a body then maybe," Molly tried to start but Yasha shook her head, braids flying out.

  
"You weren't there, you didn't see.... the fire took everything. It probably killed him in the fire too."

  
Molly frowned. "But-"

  
"Mollymauk." Yasha said, a definite edge to her voice. She stood up, putting her sword into place and looking ahead. "If you don't mind this was... a lot to talk about. It was awhile ago, but with campers returning for summer... they're all finding out and its sort of reopened the wound for all of us. It'll be best if you don't bring her up."

  
Molly sighed, getting up as well. "Understood."

  
"You know... I have answered a lot for you. Would you mind if I asked you something now?"

  
"You just did, but a second question couldn't hurt." Molly quipped, raising an eyebrow.

  
Yasha laughed softly and ran her hand over the flat of her sword. "What are those marks on your arm? I've never seen anything like them before."

  
"Oh, these old things?" Molly looked down and held his arms out in front of them. "I got this one on a dare, but it came out looking well so I can't complain." he said and gestured at the peacock. "As for this one- it's actually an ongoing process. I add another line every time I kill a cultist." he added and tapped the bars running down his arm.

  
When he looked up Yasha was looking at him quizzically. "I... have a feeling you enjoy coming up with these stories."

  
Molly shrugged. "You said it not me, darling."

  
Yasha smiled softly, as thought that answered everything she needed to know. "I'm going to be honest, I think I'd like to hit something now. Would you like to join?" she said, standing up and sliding the gigantic great sword over her shoulders and into place.

  
Molly got up besides her, grinning.

  
"Yasha, you read my mind." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thank you SOO much for comments on the last chapter and kudos- this fic is ganna be,, a Big One and a Big Project if i do it right <3

**Author's Note:**

> so this fic is SUPER indulgent! And just a few things I want to note here~ There's going to be a bit of setup in this fic, and any shipping will be S L O W, but I still hope you like it and liked this (admittedly short) chapter??  
> This fic isn't going to have a super strict upload schedule for a few reasons. I don't want to risk dropping my other fics, but I also just couldn't drop this idea once I got on my PJO/HOO kick. I'm also trying to nail down what tone I want in this (the mix of CR's tone but also I don't think I could do a PJO au without the snark of the series). SO yeah- I'll aim for every weak and a half/ every two weeks? Maybe? 
> 
> but yeah! hmu on tumblr @tragedyboycentral if you want, and kudos/comments are the validation that keep me Going


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